All That Really Matters
by StarkLovesShawarma
Summary: Three years have passed, and Big Time Rush have finally made it to the top. As Kendall's mind still dwells on the past, he needs to realize that this, is all that really matters. Kendall/Carlos


**Okay, so again, SUPER BORED! I just picked up the new Four Year Strong CD, and its amazing. I just randomly wanted to make a fic with a song title from the album, and I chose 'Nineteen with Neck Tatz,' cause i don't know, its cute? lol. and i love neck tattoos. :) This is another Kendall/Carlos fluffy thing. OH, and the song, "All That Really Matters," is an actual song written by Kendall Schmidt and Sean Micheal Beyer. GO LOOK IT UP ITS AMAZING.**

**I don't own Big Time Rush or anything else you recognize in this. **

It had been three years. Three long years since the four partners in crime had moved to California for the girls, the beach, and the fame that is Big Time Rush. If the boys had any unsure thoughts when they had arrived, those had defiantly been washed away as their band was now number one on Billboard's top 100 with their hit single, _'On a Saturday.' _They were currently about to end their worldwide tour, performing their last show in New York City. Three years ago, Carlos, Logan, Kendall, and James would have been mesmerized by the flashing lights, the Broadway signs, and all the peculiar people of this town. But now, it was all familiar ground, and they had covered it all. Backstage, the quartet jumped up and down in place, readying themselves for their last show before they could venture back to their sunny home in California. The announcer's voice boomed over the screaming audience as he shouted their names, rearing the crowd up for their entrance. "Here they are, BIG TIME RUSH!" The man screamed, signaling the four band mates to get into action. Running onto stage, spotlights lit up their bodies as they flashed their adoring fans their wide mouthed grins. They truly did love their devotees. The guys figured, why don't they start out with a classic?

"_Yeah...BTR..." _Kendall smirked against the microphone, hearing the crowd go nuts as they realized what song was about to be performed. The nineteen year old leader of this group had barley changed over the years. Granted his blonde hair was a little longer, and his physique was a little more toned. He had also grown out his facial hair a little, his jaw lined with stubble. But other than that, he was the same old Kendall Knight, sporting his black and grey Vans on his feet.

"_Here I am, there you are. Why does it seem so far?" _James jumped into the song, the girls in the audience screaming their heads off. The pretty boy's egotistical attitude had stayed the same, unfaltering from when he was a teenager. His sandy hair was still long and swooping, showing off that face that made the girls go crazy.

"_Next to you is where I should be..." _Logan smiled, throwing his free hand into the air. He most defiantly had progressed over the years. His singing was impeccable now, smooth with no cracks or hitches. The brunette had also hit a growth spurt during their run, now eye level with Kendall. Although his hair had remained the same, everything else had changed.

"_Where I wanna be..." _Carlos' voice whispered, a smirk never leaving his face. Out of all the other guys, the Latino had drastically altered himself, unintentionally. He was still the fun loving goof ball he was when he was a teen, but the way he looked was a whole different story. His hair was longer, about the length of Logan's styled in the same faux hawk he sported back in 2010. He wore a black V neck, his legs covered by bright white skinny jeans. He had also began to wear his glasses again, since his eyes strained from the lighting on stage. But the most noticeable change from Carlos were the vibrant tattoos that lined his arms.

* * *

The plane ride home was mostly silent, besides the meaningless chatter amongst the four nineteen year olds. They just wanted to relax as the jet whisked them back to the home they shared in California. Being adults now, you would think that they would find their own places to live, but that was just unacceptable. As soon as the guys had turned eighteen, they all moved to different parts of Los Angeles. That plan was a fail, because the boys were so used to being around each other that they wound up sleeping over at someones house every night. So, they decided, why not put our money together and get a little house on the beach? As they arrived at the airport, Carlos glanced out the window to spot their limousine waiting for them at the docks. Sighing, they were all just happy to be home.

Logan pulled the keys from his belt loop and unlocked the front door to their house hastily, wanting to get inside and flop down on their big, fluffy couch. Their house was quite becoming for a first home. There were four bedrooms, three baths, and an amazing view of the ocean's front. The walls were all a soft tan color, their furniture looking comfortable and homey. Of course, their old orange and red hockey jerseys were in glass cases nailed to the living room wall. Sometimes it depressed Kendall, because all he could think about was how he had given up his dream to play center for the Minnesota Wild, his favorite hockey team of all time. But he always pushed that thought into the back of his mind. He had nothing to complain about! He was a rich and famous pop/rock star, singing and playing guitar with his best friends that have been with him since kindergarten. Looking back on the past, Kendall often wondered: _What would have happened if he had never called Gustavo Rocque a giant turd? What would have happened if he had never been watching MTV with his friends that fateful night? What would have happened if he hadn't convinced Carlos to twist the T bar in the sprinkler valve? _He never got too far into it before someone or something snapped him out of his memory filled daze. Walking out onto the patio of their house, Kendall inhaled deeply, sighing as the scent of salt water and night time filled his nostrils. He loved it. The waves, the beach, everything about this place was paradise. If there was one thing he didn't miss about Minnesota, it was the weather. The horrible, cold weather. Here, the coldest it got was a chilly breeze, and that's the way he liked it to be.

* * *

The bright sun beat down on the earth with intense heat. James squinted his eyes as he smiled, running off into the ocean's murky depths with his long board tucked beneath his muscular arm. Logan followed eagerly with his surf board as the swell coming up from the water was amazing today. Kendall and Carlos sat on the beach, neither of them in the mood for surfing as they still felt overworked from being on tour for eight months. A large umbrella was stuck into the gritty sand as the two rested on thin swimming towels beneath it. Kendall sat indian style, his acoustic guitar resting in his lap. Carlos was leaned up on his elbows watching his friend play a melody as he stretched out on his belly. Their eyes were masked by dark sunglasses as they smiled and talked, taking in God's amazing climate. Kendall would watch Carlos wiggle around to the rhythm as he strummed, laughing at the cute dance moves. Sometimes, Carlos' arms would catch the light of the sun, making his tattoos light up boldly. His entire arms were sleeved in artwork, stopping at his shoulders. He had a simple tribal tattoo swirling its way on his right pectoral. The tan skinned man suddenly sat up, smiling with an idea. "Sing _All That Really Matters_!" Carlos smiled, copying the way Kendall was sitting. A grin appeared on the blonde's face. He hadn't played or sang that song in years. Just the memory of it brought happiness to his heart. He began to bring his fingers over the strings, making a sweet little rhythm play through the instrument. Carlos swayed his body to the melody.

_"Childhood memories of broken bones and scraped up knees. Was a time for us to come together. Stayin the night, sneaking out real late. Getting busted before we get past the gate.  
Finding our way through this crazy world. Through times of good and even better, its all that really matters. When it comes to me and my best friends. In times of sunshine or crazy weather, thats all that really it comes to me me and my best friends!" _Kendall smiled as he and Carlos sand these lyrics together. Damn, did it bring back some good ass memories. They could remember when the four of them had sat down in Kendall's basement and wrote the words to this song when they were in tenth grade, when they actually did all the things the song told.

_"Teenaged memories of party times, more tequila please. __Was a time for us to come together. Cruisin the streets, the downtown boulevard. __Sippin Jack, hey they're stealing the car! __Making our way through this crazy world." _Carlos recalled the very first time they had drank. James' father had gone to work, and the four high school freshman had picked his liquor cabinet with a bobby pin, finding various bottles of tequila and vodka. As soon as Logan took the first sip, he spit it out, washing his tounge under the kitchen's sink. James laughed as Carlos picked up the bottle and gulped a large amount down, proceeding to throw up everywhere afterward.

_"Through times of good and even better, its all that really matters. __When it comes to me and my best friends. __In times of sunshine or crazy weather, that's all that really matters. __When it comes to me me and my best friends. __Grown up memories of bills to pay, responsibility. __Was a time for us to come together. __Longing for those carefree times. __No drama, worries or anxiety. __Finding our way through this crazy world. __Through times of good and even better, its all that really matters. __When it comes to me and my best friends!" _

Their first kiss was pretty cute. During the summer, James and Logan's parents had planned a snowboarding trip to the mountains with each other, but Carlos and Kendall's parents rejected the idea of their boys being away for two weeks. While the pretty boy and the genius were away, the blonde and Latino were bored out of their minds. They resorted to skateboarding down the streets of their neighborhood in the actually warm weather. The fifteen year olds stopped an ice cream truck on their way to the park, buying frozen treats. Carlos had purchased a ninja turtles popsicle, while Kendall had chosen a sponge bob one. As they skated all the way to the park, they had found it was empty. For some reason, Carlos thought it would be a good idea to hang upside down from the monkey bars and attempt to eat his Popsicle. It slid from the stick, dropping into the dirt. Kendall laughed, as the Hispanic hung upside down, frowning as he gazed at his splattered ice cream. The blonde thought it would be funny to 'be like spiderman' and let his friend lick his popsicle while he was hanging. But when they both laughed as they licked either side, Kendall moved the frozen treat from between them and smacked his lips onto Carlos'. Surprised at first, Carlos' eyes shot wide open, but when Kendall held his head from behind, his eyes closed, tasting the lemony flavor of sponge bob on Kendall's tongue.

Carlos leaned his head in and Kendall placed a kiss onto his lips, smiling as he remembered the first kiss. Pulling apart, Logan and James trotted up, soaking wet. Shoving their surfing boards into the sand, the grinned. "Hey! Did I hear All That Really Matters?!" James quizzically asked as the two land lovers smiled. Kendall placed a quick kiss on Carlos' cheek as he continued to play. As he sang, he glanced over at his boyfriend, getting a glimpse of his neck. 'All That Really Matters,' was tattooed in cursive letters right across the left side of his olive skin. Kendall chuckled. He realized then, he shouldn't be worrying about the past. Here, in the now, he held up a wonderful life. His friends, the beach, the waves, his boyfriend...what more could you need?


End file.
